The present disclosure relates in general to gaming devices and methods of operating gaming devices, and more particularly to gaming devices and methods which include a triggering event which can recur without an input from the player and which has an increased probability of recurring with at least one occurrence.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, and to increase the popularity of gaming machines, gaming device manufacturers constantly strive to provide players with new types of gaming machines that attract the player and keep the player entertained. To this end, gaming machine manufacturers attempt to provide more opportunities for the player to win and enhance the awards associated with those award opportunities.
Many gaming devices initiate a single generation and display of symbols in response to a wager by a player. For example, certain gaming machines employ a plurality of reels, wherein the reels each have a plurality of symbols, and enable a player to place a wager on one or more paylines associated with symbol positions. The symbols on the reels are independently generated to provide a combination of symbols. A single activation of the set of reels typically leads to a single display of symbols arranged along the paylines to be evaluated for any award. If a winning symbol or winning combination of symbols is generated and displayed along a wagered on payline, an award is provided to the player, and the game ends. If a winning symbol or combination of symbols is not generated and displayed along a wagered on payline, no award is provided to the player for that payline.
Improvements to gaming devices have been known to include outcomes that allow additional play of a game without an additional wager or input by the player. For example, some gaming machines provide additional award opportunities to players without requiring an additional wager in the form of free spins or activations. Upon winning free spins, the reels can automatically generate a number of outcomes and provide the player credits from winning symbols or symbol combinations occurring in the outcomes.
Other gaming machines provide additional award opportunities through the occurrence of a triggering event which enables the player to activate the same game or a different game, such as a bonus game. This automatic extended play of the same or different game by the gaming device is often limited to a single additional award opportunity.
Another feature that is sometimes used to provide a player with an additional opportunity to obtain winning symbol combinations is a wild symbol. Known gaming devices provide wild symbols that can enable the matching of symbols along a payline to achieve a winning combination by acting or substituting as any other possible symbol for purposes of determining a winning combination.
In addition to increasing the number of award opportunities in a game, gaming machine manufacturers attempt to enhance the awards associated with those award opportunities. Conventional gaming devices employ different components to enhance a player's outcome in a game. One such component is a modifier. A modifier such as a multiplier enables players to obtain larger outcomes such as larger awards in a game. A multiplier increases the award amount proportionally to the value of the multiplier. For example, a “2×” multiplier pays twice the normal award value. A “3×” multiplier pays three times the normal award value. Therefore, a multiplier can substantially enhance a player's award.
Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a game in which a player has multiple opportunities to win an award and potentially large awards or credits are ways to enhance player enjoyment and excitement. Players are also attracted to gaming devices which provide new game schemes and interactive features including different ways of enhancing awards associated with winning symbol combinations or different types of triggering events. Therefore, to increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new game schemes and features for gaming devices which include new and different ways of providing additional award opportunities and enhancing the awards provided to the players in a game. A continuing need thus exists to provide new and exciting gaming devices and methods.